247 Article: Biggest Must Win Game For Each BIG Team

Submitted by MaizeMN on
I was checking out some balls on 247 and stumbled across this article. It's one of those goofy slideshow pieces, but worth a quick read. Obvious choices for most teams, but a few mild surprises. I can't seem to post the link from this mobile contraption, maybe one of the intrepid MGoBlogerati can help with that. GO BLUE!

lilpenny1316

June 30th, 2016 at 11:08 AM ^

I have a feeling Iowa doesn't know what's about to hit them.  Under Ferentz, Iowa is usually underwhelming in the non-conference season.  Even their wins are traditionally unimpressive.  I doubt there will be a betting line since NDSU is FCS, but if there was, Iowa would not cover what would likely be a 3-touchdown spread.

Jeff09

June 30th, 2016 at 10:28 AM ^

State could lose to Wisconsin and still win the division / B1G - i.e. it's gotta be either us or OSU, so not sure where they got that one. From our perspective I think it hinges on who you think is better, OSU or MSU, and I don't see an argument for MSU. But whateva, not my list.

Jeff09

June 30th, 2016 at 10:34 AM ^

Yeah, if they lose to Wisco they can still control their own destiny in the East. If they lose to either us or OSU they're likely out of the running in the East race, most likely one of us or OSU will be undefeated in the B1G, or will have a tie breaker advantage.

DrMantisToboggan

June 30th, 2016 at 10:26 AM ^

I agree with State for us. Even if we are undefeated and ranked above OSU this year, it will be hard to go into the Shoe as a favorite (unless the replacement talent for their draft decimation really isn't up speed yet). 

Sparty on the other hand, we have to throttle. We will be undefeated. They will probably have one loss. The back-to-the-future transition into the Harbaugh domination era will not be complete until we reassert our dominance over little brother. 

The Mad Hatter

June 30th, 2016 at 10:44 AM ^

I think we'll probably be favored against OSU (or at least even), but we can win that game on the last possession by a single point and the victory will be just as sweet as it would if the score was 42-0.

State on the other hand needs to have their dicks knocked in the dirt for the entire game.  We need a double digit win and to completely dominate them, just to let their fans know that their little run of victories against us has come to an end.

maize-blue

June 30th, 2016 at 10:31 AM ^

My own opinion is that State is the biggest game of the year. Take back the state, mop up in-state recruiting for the 2017 class and I think Spary's run of dominace over us is done.

We must at the very least split between MSU and OSU. I actually think we could win both. This will be the best opportunity we have to get victories in these games. If it doesn't happen this year, I would have no idea when it would.

N. Campus Tech

June 30th, 2016 at 10:52 AM ^

We need to win both, but losing to MSU would be a disaster. OSU is in a down year, so they are ripe for a defeat. We'll be down in '17, so now's the time. 

MSU needs to be destroyed, if i wans't clear about that. If we lose that game.... we'll never hear the end of it.

N. Campus Tech

June 30th, 2016 at 3:35 PM ^

This years team will be better than next years team. The 2017 will not in the National Championship discussion. 2017 Michigan will have less talent and experience than 2016 Michgian. I don't know what you would call it other than a bump.

Look at the recruiting results from the last full Hoke class and the Hybrid Hoke/Harbaugh class. That is back to back years of poor weak classes (due to the classes being small and few 4/5 stars) and attrition. Those are our upper classmen. If it was a single year of poor recruiting results, then, yeah, i would a gree with you, Harbaugh and Co. could patch it up and you wouldn't notice. But it was two consecutive years. 

Yes, Harbaugh will "coach them up" so they will be better than if the old regime was still here, but the fact remains that we have a talent gap that will be tough to over come against elite teams, like OSU.

I don't see us not hI'm not saying that we are going to go 6-6, we're not going to crater, but realistically, we could be looking at a 3 or 4 loss season. It happens. We'll be returning a big chunk of the team for 2018.

Tater

June 30th, 2016 at 10:54 AM ^

Sparty is the "can't afford to lose" game of the year.  Current recruits have grown up with Sparty dominance.  It's time to remind everyone in Michigan that footballl has been around a lot longer than eight years.

saveferris

June 30th, 2016 at 2:37 PM ^

Beating Sparty and still losing to OSU doesn't guarantee us a spot in Indianapolis and THAT should be the goal this season.  New QB or not, this team is set up to win a conference championship.  Time to start hanging banners again.

MadMatt

July 1st, 2016 at 7:36 AM ^

Psychologically, we need the Spartan off of our back.  It's not just that they have beaten us consisitently and been the better team over the course of the last few seasons.  It's also that historically they have been second fiddle in Michigan and have been such graceless jerks about the whole thing.  The most Spartan thing ever: running up the score and then blaming Michigan by claiming some obscure piece of "disrespect."  (And the most Brady Hoke thing ever: agreeing and apologizing for it.)

We think this is a new coaching staff and a new day.  So it is, even though last yeat they beat us, AGAIN, with the dardest play you will ever see.  This year, no excuses.  We NEED this game, or we will validate Dantonio's talking point about hope vs. results.  If we think we are going to pursue Urban Meyer's dreadnought down in Columbus, we don't need the Spartans in our head.

Let me pose this question for the group.  Let's think about our wet...er, best case scenario.  Suppose at the end of the third quarter Michigan is well ahead of Staee and the game is no longer in doubt, say 24-7 with the Spartans' lone TD coming on a special teams play.  What would you want Coach Harbaugh to do?  Run up the score or run out the clock?

What's the difference?  I see running up the score as an acceptance the Staee will remain a rival for the forseeable future, and embracing them as a deeply bitter, Auburn vs. Alabama, we'd poison your tree and help the sherriffs evict your disabled grandmother rival.  In short, we'd one up Dantonio in the disrespekt category, and validate that MSU matters to us almost as much as Ohio State.

In contrast, I see running out the clock and not trying to score as a statement to MSU that we think things are back to normal.  You are just another B1G team on our schedule, and we have no interest in anything other than securing the W.  Have your fun the years you beat us, because we KNOW that you are beneath us and will remain so.

Waddaya think?

EGD

June 30th, 2016 at 10:49 AM ^

"Every Rutgers football season is an exercise in dignity preservation, which right now means finding a way not to go winless."

The slide show was worth it just for that.

M-Dog

June 30th, 2016 at 11:30 AM ^

Ohio State all the way.

If we beat Ohio State in Columbus that will erase any stain of losing to MSU if that happens.

We all know that we will take care of business against MSU, even if it does not happen this year.  But beating Ohio State in Columbus is what will truly say we've arrived and can play with the big boys.

Plus, a win against OSU likely means we are in the Playoff.  Not so with an MSU win.

Looking forward, MSU does not keep me up at night.  Ohio State does.  

It's time to go toe to toe and beat them. 

 

superstringer

June 30th, 2016 at 11:34 AM ^

Its Staee. Losing at Cbus to all those 5* and Barrett is not a crusher. Urbs is on another level, and while we want to get there, its only year 2.

But... we should have beat Staee last year, they lost a lot, have a nee QB, AND we need to reassert our authority as the top program in the state. This is a no-brainer. Losing to staee this year will be a crusher. Positively MUST win that game.




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LSAClassOf2000

June 30th, 2016 at 11:40 AM ^

I guess that, in my mind, beating one of the two rivals is a "development marker", if you will, for this team and what Harbaugh is building in Ann Arbor. Michigan State is probably the easier one by a mile this year among the two, but yet in my mind beating either would suffice. Beating both would be an unexpected bonus just by my own expectations this season. I will say, however, that losing to MSU and beating OSU would probably make me forget that we lost to MSU, if that scenario happened, and forgetting MSU is as it should be anyway really.

StephenRKass

June 30th, 2016 at 12:49 PM ^

I am fully with the State Game being the critical "Must Win" for UofM this year. We have to establish dominance and change the pattern. If we win all the other games and lose to Michigan State, it almost doesn't matter.

I'm torn about OSU. Personally, I drank the Michigan Kool Aid last year, and feel snake bit. For me, the critical thing is a competitive game. While it would be torture to lose by a couple points, I could live with it. The game is in Columbus, they've been killing it in recruiting for years, and they curb-stomped us last year. If Michigan plays a competitive game and loses in OT, or by a last minute field goal, it would be a dong punch. But it would give me significant hope going forward.

Last year, we should have beat MSU, but lost on a fluke. Horrible way to lose, but I thought Harbaugh did a great job of coaching a team that was a bit behind MSU in terms of players on the field. This year, the talent disparity is gone with MSU, and we have to win that game. With OSU, I still feel that overall, they have more talented players. If Michigan manages to beat them, Alleluia! But if Michigan is competitive with them and has them on the ropes, but loses, well, I can live with that, for this year.

Addendum:  I really hope that Michigan either runs the table, or loses only to OSU. A loss to any other team would be profoundly annoying and disappointing.

WeimyWoodson

June 30th, 2016 at 1:13 PM ^

things should just go back to normal with them, and that means just kicking their asses most of the years.  While I don't think the run of them being a good team is over, they're just not going to beat Michigan more often then not now. 

OSU is a must freaking win game.  The dominance they have had over Michigan throughout the entire 2000's has to stop.  The fact several people who have already said they would be okay with another loss to OSU based on recruting and their qb coming back is just bat shit crazy.  If you want to see Michigan recruiting really take off with OSU/Alabama level talent Michigan must beat OSU this year.  

The fact is most kids don't even realize how big the rivalry is.  They've seen Michigan win maybe once over OSU.  They need to see that things are changing, its going to be a big time game and not just something cute little upset if Michigan beats OSU.

Wolfman

June 30th, 2016 at 11:57 PM ^

MSU will be nice, just to shut them up for a heartbeat. Well, we won't shut them up but we should slow down the level of mental retardardation spewing from their mouths as we listen to the reasons the refs fucked them for a yearm enroute to a nailbiting 55-7 loss to Michigan. 

OSU on the other hands is going to send shock waves throughout the nation. Not so much in terms of victory; I don't think I am by myself in expecting a pretty thorough UM win. i would think it won't be much difference than the bowl victory in the post 2006 game where is Mike Hart would have resembled himself just a bit in terms of ball control, we would have stomped them pretty hard. 

I personally don't think OSU's young offense, despite a season of growing will be ready for the Michigan defense in its vanilla package but facing the wrinkles Coach Brown will toss in for this game, I think it should be a 14-17 point victory with UM in command throughout. 

The shockwaves referenced above will be experienced by those recruits who had narrowed it down to UM and OSU and whose choice suddenly got a lot tougher. They, likewise, will be totally impressed by the defensive performance and as Weimy indicates, the comlexion of the rivalry can change in one afternoon. And as a bonus, all the greatness Gary has hinted at it the three games prior to this and coming off the monster in EL, he's going to make it difficult for one Mr. Barrett to sleep well that evening. And on replay, we will be able to understand it a little more. To most, it looks like Barrett has the corner every damn time. Gary just closes in such a deceptive way and when coupled with those long arms and bear traps at the end, doubling as hands, the answers become clearer. 

Welcome back wolverines. We've missed you.